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Old     (xbones)      Join Date: Mar 2007       02-03-2009, 7:01 AM Reply   
First let me preface by saying, this thread is in no way intended to promote racial tension or racist discussions. I will promptly report your post to Dave if there is even a hint of a racist undertone in your reply.

That being said.... I was sitting on the bench in the park about to drop on a flat bar at AppSki Mountain and struck up a conversation with a black guy named Jeremy and an asian kid named Brian. After we shot the shiz for an hour or two we ended up riding all day together and going to a local watering hole that night and having some burgers and beers. This got me wondering... I can't help but notice the general lack of diversity in our sport. I've been to a lot of contests and ridden with a ton of people and rarely, if ever have I seen a black guy or an asian guy wakeboarding. You can probably attribute some of it to the income gap between minorities and whites, since our sport tends to be on the expensive side... but I still can't put my finger on what exactly keeps them away from the sport. I can't recall ever riding with or seeing a minority person on the water.

Is this an East Coast thing? Do you West side guys see more black and asian riders?

Thoughts.
Old     (wakeboardern1)      Join Date: Aug 2007       02-03-2009, 7:09 AM Reply   
So um, last time I brought this up, someone on this forum flamed the living hell out of me and then called me ignorant... Just saying.

However, on topic, I do agree with you. Josh Palma is the only pro that I know of, and there are a few guys on here that I've seen, one of which flamed me. Apparently, a year or two ago a black guy came out one time with the wakeboard club here at VT and shredded, but it is definitely a rarity. I have never seen an asian rider personally (they're obviously out there, just not in the Eastern U.S. for the most part, examples are you know, the riders in Southeast Asia and Japan, as well as a bunch in Cali and such). But generally, I'd think that there are more minority riders on the west coast vs. the east coast.

(Message edited by wakeboardern1 on February 03, 2009)
Old     (helix_rider)      Join Date: Mar 2003       02-03-2009, 7:25 AM Reply   
Luker, it may be a regional thing, but in general your observations ring true in my experiences. I don't think I've seen any minorities riding in TN at our local comps either. However, I have taken both asian and black friends (~20 people over the years) out on the lake myself, and to a one they all loved it, so my guess is that it is more an 'opportunity' thing than a lack of desire to participate. One of my friends from the islands did tell me that in general, he thinks black people don't like the water. He couldn't swim himself (crazy growing up in the islands)...but I convinced him to put a good life vest on and actually got him up and riding. That took some serious jimmies to overcome the fear of the water to try and learn to ride.
Old     (wakex2wake)      Join Date: Apr 2008       02-03-2009, 7:45 AM Reply   
we've got a couple of black guys as our neighbors and every time we try to get them to load up w/ us they say they don't want anything to do w/ it... we'll call when we get home and will come over and watch games and drink and stuff w/ us from time to time but they always act like we're crazy for going... i figure we might talk them into it if we could ever get the out on the water but they're always reluctant to go (even w/ a boat load of girls)...

i honestly think its more of an action sports/water thing... there's not just an overwhelming number of minority athletes in action sports in general... i know there's a few but far from the NBA, MLB, and NFL percentages... and i don't think its specifically wakeboarding... its all water sports... look at the the three sport comps as well... i doubt a minority has consistently placed well in a national event (sorry i don't follow very closely so i could be wrong)... i'm sure its more of an interest thing than a racial thing...

(Message edited by wakeX2wake on February 03, 2009)
Old     (sidekicknicholas)      Join Date: Mar 2007       02-03-2009, 11:33 AM Reply   
I've found diversity in another way... this last winter I was in a house that went as follows:

My friend (28 years old) and I (21) from Wisconsin went and lived down in a house for a month in florida. The other people there are a German man, Andreas 'Johhny' Walker (42) who is in charge of a TV station in Paris and makes like 500k plus, loves wakeboarding. Giuliano Molli (20), the Italian Wakeboard Champion - funniest kid ever and a great rider, and finally Will Christien (age - N/a) English women and wakeboard master.

There is no other sport in world that would bring us together... Nothing was more fun than trying to decode half of the things that were said through the month... we would all go out out to eat and do everything together and have a great time and the ONLY COMMON BOND was WAKEBOARDING. It is/was the coolest thing that something like that could make us all instantly be friends

*If any of you guys read this:
Thanks again to Johnny for paying for like 2 weeks of food and booze - you're the boss, but you know that
Will thanks for a house - I'll see you in March
Old     (sidekicknicholas)      Join Date: Mar 2007       02-03-2009, 11:35 AM Reply   
Giuli, Me, Shua, Andreas, Will - Happy little Family
Upload
Old     (wakeboardern1)      Join Date: Aug 2007       02-03-2009, 11:50 AM Reply   
That has got to be one of the truest statements I've ever seen Nick. This sport somehow manages to bring together the most random combinations of people with a single common interest, and 95 percent of the time, it winds up being a super chill group.

And I've always wondered who this Andreas guy that people talk about is, now I know.
Old     (sidekicknicholas)      Join Date: Mar 2007       02-03-2009, 11:56 AM Reply   
^ i doubt it is the same Andreas... not 100% sure, but doubtful
Old     (dwakesetter)      Join Date: Feb 2006       02-03-2009, 12:05 PM Reply   
Are you guys putting ice in your Champaign?
Old     (wakeboardern1)      Join Date: Aug 2007       02-03-2009, 12:13 PM Reply   
The chances of people talking about different Andreas that are both loaded are well... You get the idea, although they could be different...
Old     (sidekicknicholas)      Join Date: Mar 2007       02-03-2009, 12:18 PM Reply   
its a Euro thing i guess... they've got a lot of fruity little things... i was the minority, i just went with it.
Old     (dwakesetter)      Join Date: Feb 2006       02-03-2009, 12:24 PM Reply   
Nick it makes sense, I just had never seen it done before, I guess you have diversified my drinking.
Old    alanp            02-03-2009, 12:33 PM Reply   
another thing ive noticed is that black people in general dont like being out in the sun for extended periods. i dated a couple of black chicks and my best friend thru high school was black and going to the beach was never something they wanted to do with any regularity. at the beaches you see a disproportionate number black people covered or sitting under umbrella's. so maybe a contributing factor is the long hours under the sun.
Old     (colombiansurfer)      Join Date: Sep 2008       02-03-2009, 12:35 PM Reply   
I'm on the East Coast side, NC, and there is a group of black guys that ride and have there own boat. A couple of them are great riders too. I too wonder why not many are in the sport, but then again why aren't any in NASCAR? Living in the "South" I get pegged from time to time for being a racist because I go to certain clubs or being called names by white rednecks for listening to rap. I think most of the views on people is all in how you are raised. I have an open boat policy, as long as you know how to have fun and no drama I do not care what color you are, lets shred!
Old     (swatkinz)      Join Date: Aug 2002       02-03-2009, 12:36 PM Reply   
I've only seen two black guys wakeboard on my lake. One was in a moomba and by physical actions, I believe he owned the boat. The other was an obvious beginner behind a deck boat. We just don't see many people of color on our lake at all. Fishing, riding, tubing nothing. I agree with the poster who mentioned somethign about swimming and fear of water or lack of interest in watersports. I asked a black custoemr/friend once to go ride with me and he made some statement about "Don't you know us black people don't like water?" This isn't a very diverse sport, but I think the biggest reason though is not skin color but wallet density. don't ya'll?
Old     (martinez30)      Join Date: Mar 2007       02-03-2009, 1:16 PM Reply   
Income gap between whites and minorities is irrelevant. I do however feel it is regional; here in the left coast you have your “trail mix” of races wakeboarding. Including myself, which I should mention, am of Mexican origin…
Just out of curiosity Mr.Xbones, with all due respect, what is the purpose of your question?

Interesting question though…
Old     (xbones)      Join Date: Mar 2007       02-03-2009, 1:39 PM Reply   
My purpose was simply that... it was interesting. I'm not trying to stir the pot by any means. Just wanted to hear some other peoples thoughts on the issue.

I would have to disagree that the income gap doesn't come into play however. With lake homes in my area averaging $600K, wakeboats averaging $55-60K and a nice setup in the $600 - $700 range... I'd say income plays a large part.

That being said... I have neither a boat or a lakehouse and I ride almost daily. (My folks have a place but its 3 hours away and not where I ride).
Old     (socalwakepunk)      Join Date: Dec 2002       02-03-2009, 1:52 PM Reply   
My friend Tim has red hair, and can ride both regular & switch, heelside AND toeside. Is that diversity for ya or what!

Who knows what/where Corey Lake is up to?
Old     (xbones)      Join Date: Mar 2007       02-03-2009, 1:57 PM Reply   
We have a kid from Canada and a kid from Wisconsin in our crew. We call them Team Canada and Team Cheese respectively. I didn't even know their real names until like 2 months after we had been riding together. We randomly scream "Gretzky" or "Brett Farvre" while on the boat.

Pretty diverse for South Alabama :-)

(Message edited by Xbones on February 03, 2009)
Old     (benjaminp)      Join Date: Nov 2008       02-03-2009, 2:31 PM Reply   
I cannot recall any coloured people riding on my local lake, but I think the main reason for that is that there are not many coloured people in my area. There were three black kids in my highschool, maybe a dozen asians, and one or two people from other non-white ethnic origins. I think it is more a factor of wakeboarding being a relatively small sport, with the previously mentioned large membership fee of a boat and gear. Many people are not interested in it, and those that are may not have the funds to follow through, just like many white people. I put the lack of diversity down to the combination of those two factors.
Old     (the_bug)      Join Date: May 2004       02-03-2009, 3:02 PM Reply   
Part of it is the cost, but let's just be honest shall we. Wakeboarding has jumped the shark and is now in the "meh" category for most of the general public. It would still be on X Games if people dug it.
Old     (aroed)      Join Date: Jan 2009       02-03-2009, 3:11 PM Reply   
Im down in Texas. I havnt seen minorities on my lake. One of my best friends that is out with me all the time is mexican, however he does not act mexican and i always forget that he is. also he isnt minority he lives in a huge ass house with an infinity pool with swim up bar that look out onto their private lake which they share with one other house that is at the other end. I do have a kid i go to school with that is a pretty good boarder that rides at a different lake and he is black and he grew in a town where he was the only black person including his parents being white. so all in all it is just a combo of interest first of all and then income because the price of the sport affects all people so its not the main reason. gas to lake house, Lake House, Boat, Setup, Gas for boat, gas back home: after that being said that is why were are lucky people who are blessed to enjoy this wonderful sport.
Old    wiz            02-03-2009, 4:04 PM Reply   
here's a story u guys might like. a friend of mine sells a major brand of wake boats. one day an inter-racial family (african-american husband & caucasian wife) comes in looking to buy. they found a boat they loved & were very stoked about. they started talking pretty serious about making a purchase when out of the blue the wife got upset about the brochures not having any black people in them. this clearly embarassed the husband. he could care less. she started raising hell about "i'm not buying a boat from a company that doesnt advertise to other ethnicities!". the husband said it was time to go & as the car was pulling away, u could see he was tearing her a new arse. my friend (the salesman) called the head of marketing for the company & asked "how do i overcome that objection??" he was told that less than 1% of their boats were purchased by minorities & not to worry about it. what i thought was funny is how the husband could care less but the caucasian wife got pissy about it.

i think basically it boils down to the fact that white guys are mostly the only ones that get stoked on riding sideways on some type of board with the end result usually being pain.

(Message edited by wake_eater on February 03, 2009)
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       02-03-2009, 4:44 PM Reply   
I lived in Taiwan a while and i would have to say that ROOM is a big factor there and for any other highrise packed city life. the roads are not always the widest especially considering the ammount of trafic. not the worst trafic in the world but still I cant imagine pulling a boat or any other rig there. most everyone lives in buildings and so there is no yard or garage big enough.

they don't have the land for a wake park either really.

also wakeboarding is especially new to Taiwan and other contries despite they make our boards and probably most of the stuff used to make our boats... how ironic.

i have managed to get one of my friends from taiwan hooked on wake. he has since gotten hooked on longboarding 'cause he can't afford to wake, especially while going to college

all the time i was in taiwan (nearly 2 full years) i saw only one trailer of jet ski(s) don't remember if there was one or two, but i remember it none theless. that was the closest resemblance to this, my favorite sport i saw while over there (excluding surf stuff, which i did not see much of that either)

as for blacks. i could only reiterate what has been said already
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       02-03-2009, 5:38 PM Reply   
of course money is a big issue for most in Taiwan too, but ROOM is another point i wanted to bring to the thread that had not been touched on really
Old     (amandae)      Join Date: Jan 2009       02-03-2009, 5:47 PM Reply   
Here is a picture of my husband, and we live on a lake and have our own boats.... I am a little insulted for my future children :-) Upload

(Message edited by amandae on February 03, 2009)

(Message edited by amandae on February 03, 2009)
Old     (martinez30)      Join Date: Mar 2007       02-03-2009, 7:49 PM Reply   
"wake eater"...I really feel you are not being sincere with your story, that "1%", maybe where you are from, not where I am from.
Besides, who gives a flying fudge who is or isn't purchasing boats.
Just my last "dos centavos"...

Very nice picture Amanda.
Old     (jayson_49)      Join Date: May 2007       02-04-2009, 1:35 AM Reply   
last summer, i invited one of my co-workers, who is black, for a day on the river on my boat and he said "cool, i'll bring my fishing poles and some beer!" i told him to leave the poles but bring the beer...after a couple hours of convincing, listening to him say "us black folks and water don't mix, man!" and him watching us ride, he finally decided to strap on a board and try it.....i eventually got him up and he's been hooked ever since!!
i'm filipino btw...i agree with the earlier posts, i think there is more diversity on the west coast especially here in northern california
Old     (stoked_32)      Join Date: Aug 2007       02-04-2009, 9:47 AM Reply   
I think it's just a regional thing. When I learned to ride up in WA, I never saw a single minority rider other than the newbies we taught. I went to school in ny and never saw any either. Now that I'm here in cali, I've seen a ton of asian crews here in fully pimped out malibus and xstars. So I doubt its really a finance issue when it comes to riding. I think its a matter of how young the sport is still. Good thread though, I've always wondered the same thing.
Old     (romes)      Join Date: Sep 2006       02-04-2009, 10:19 AM Reply   
i really think it boils down to opportunity and desire.
Old     (fly135)      Join Date: Jun 2004       02-04-2009, 10:55 AM Reply   
Nice pic Amanda, Theo rips! That's not our lake is it? I can't seem to recognize the shoreline.
Old    wiz            02-04-2009, 2:21 PM Reply   
joseph: i'm not making anything up. why would i? mc, malibu, and supra/moomba are all made here in knoxville, tn. that was what the marketing guy said. i'm sure it was an exageration, but that's what he said. i used it as an example as how this sport lacks other ethnicities. i'm sorry if the story rubbed anyone the wrong way. i didn't mean to upset u if i did.

amanda: ur husband rips! that raley is HUGE!
Old     (martinez30)      Join Date: Mar 2007       02-04-2009, 3:17 PM Reply   
No worries chuck j/wake eater...There are plenty of other things to worry about friend...that being said...appology accepted, ride on!
Old    wiz            02-04-2009, 3:42 PM Reply   
thanks!! i agree......sadly, i wont be able to ride on until march.
Old     (juiceman831)      Join Date: Jun 2007       02-05-2009, 7:05 PM Reply   
Saludos a I carnal joseph y su mighty mal!!! Hahahahah sup bro this you bro juice with the tiiiguuhhh!!!

Our moto:
"What the hell is winterize?"And "there's no such thing as downtime in wakeboarding ask my bro!".
Old     (juiceman831)      Join Date: Jun 2007       02-05-2009, 7:14 PM Reply   
Hahaha ese es mi carnal dando su opinion en wakeworld. Yo pienso que dandoles la oportunidad mucha gente de menores sueldos. Si lo arian sin pensarlo. Hojala nunca les voltien la cara ala gente que no pueda comprar una lancha como nosotros. Yo estoy despuesto de darle la oportunidad para cualquiera que este interesado a ensenarse a andar en un wakeboard llamemen! Paz en el lago y en su conpania! Arriba las chelas y chichonas!
Old     (t0nyv831)      Join Date: Jun 2008       02-06-2009, 1:02 AM Reply   
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Lo que el dijo! For me personally, most of my friends are just not that much into wakeboarding. Truth be told, if it wasn't for WW I wouldn't be riding as much and winter riding would be out of the question. So now most of the peeps I ride with are non-minority, except for my buddy Jeff and he's Chinese, I think. By the way anyone riding this winter around Central Cali, hit me up...always looking to ride!
Old     (t0nyv831)      Join Date: Jun 2008       02-06-2009, 2:31 AM Reply   
Austin, just wondering brah, what is acting Mexican? Mexican as in ahuaaaa...arriba la raza?? Or is it more, "what's going on homes?"

(Message edited by t0nyv831 on February 06, 2009)
Old     (aroed)      Join Date: Jan 2009       02-06-2009, 7:15 AM Reply   
well hes the only person in his entire family that doesnt speak spanish and his immediate family doesnt speak it as their first language but the rest of his family aunts uncles cousins gparents spanish is all the 1st language. he is probably whiter than i am. but im not trying to hate or look down on mexican at all. his family are some of the nicest people i know.
Old     (martinez30)      Join Date: Mar 2007       02-06-2009, 12:59 PM Reply   
My brother from down under Juiceman831...Are you "speaking in tongues" again!..Boy what a little "off time" from wakeboarding will do to a man...

speaking in tongues-- Is the vocalizing of fluent speech-like, but unintelligible utterances, often as part of religious practice.
Old     (hawaiianstiln)      Join Date: Oct 2004       02-06-2009, 1:33 PM Reply   
Well lets rule out Hawaii then, because there are some "non-Haole" (locals only brah), shredding it up!!

A good friend I had in hawaii was black and LOVED going out on the boat, but never wanted to wakeboard. He just wanted to hang out. Which meant, being in the sun all day. Although he really enjoyed for me to bring the tube and see how many times he would roll on the top of the water before he stopped. don't tell anyone I was tubing tho! :-)

(Message edited by hawaiianstiln on February 06, 2009)
Old     (clubjoe)      Join Date: Sep 2005       02-06-2009, 2:51 PM Reply   
I know this guy whos hispanic and he's pretty cool but can't ride too well. Most of the folks who've helped him were white though, so it must be some genetic flaw cuz he's not white....

I think whites do most of the wakebording cuz their just better people.....maybe you guys should have a "ride with an ethnic day" to help make the sport more diverse.

I'm way ahead of the game though cuz I allow ethnically different peeps on my boat regularly......Sometimes I even lettum come out more than once!
Old     (t0nyv831)      Join Date: Jun 2008       02-06-2009, 3:31 PM Reply   
Clubjoe, is that you in your profile pic? Just wondering if you're that cool hispanic guy who can't ride that well. You've just described me cause most help I get are from my white homies.
Old     (john211)      Join Date: Aug 2008       02-07-2009, 2:20 PM Reply   
[thread hijack] hey clubjoe ...

oh yeah, forgot, the topic is diversity. my second most visited web related site is http://www.wakeboard.com.sg/index.php?act=ST&f=37&t=84&st=0#entry88

wakeboarding is not the nba but what? ... the pga (minus calvin peete)?

hey clubjoe, do you wear those shades regularly while riding? if you crash, any problems (injuries)?

on some of the best days here, the scattering of sunlight off the wake is blinding, and i was thinking that shades would solve that problem, if they weren't a danger on crashes.

so, what do you think about wearing that kind of eyewear when you're going to try something you might crash on?
Old     (ryansgt)      Join Date: Aug 2006       02-07-2009, 4:54 PM Reply   
I have a few black friends and I have gotten the "black people don't mix with water" phrase tossed a few times. I have only ever gotten 2 of them out on the boat and 1 loved being out but would never try wakeboarding, the other basically wouldn't get within a few feet of the water.(talkin not even reaching over the edge) when we tied up, he refused to get in the water, had to walk from boat to boat. I told him he was crazy and that it was only like 3 feet and that he could stand in it but at least he made it out. quite a few of my my other black friends even though they see the pictures of hotties and boat drinks will never even attempt coming out.
they know it's an open invite too.
Old     (clubjoe)      Join Date: Sep 2005       02-07-2009, 6:26 PM Reply   
Antonio- See? See?..... Flawed, I tell ya!

Ryan- Used to wear em everytime I rode, with no issues. They kept the glare down and any spray off my eyes, but I had started wearin' em cuz my eyes were very sensitive to the light.

Haven't worn any lately but only because my old ons fell apart and I'm too lazy to look for new ones. BTW....... EVERYTHING I try carries a risk of crashing!

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